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Planning for Children with Special Needs
Our special children with disabilities need our love, devotion, energy, compassion and patience. However, this is not enough. Their special needs also demand special planning. Parents of children with special needs know that their child will require lifetime care, care that can be both complex and...
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Creative and Preferred Extracurricular Activities Provide Gains to Students with Special Needs
On educational campuses, student involvement in creative and preferred extracurricular activities is an essential tool in each student’s personal development. The diverse experiences these activities provide can positively impact their emotional, intellectual, social, and interpersonal progress....
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Bringing Computer Technology to the Forefront in Autism Education
Individuals with autism often do not learn in the same way that their typical peers do (Geurts & Embrects, 2008; Perkins, et al., 2006; Boucher, 2003; Wilkinson, 1998). To succeed when teaching an individual with autism, a teacher must capitalize on the learner’s strengths. Historically,...
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View from the Spectrum – The Sea of Interventions
Which approach should I use for my child? Will a behaviorally oriented method such as Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) work? Might it be better to use Daily Life Therapy (DLT)? What about some of the developmental ways of working with children on the autism spectrum such as the cognitive...
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The Influence of Autism Symptomatology on Development & Employment
The current Diagnosis and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition, Treatment Revision (DSM-IV-TR) identifies three main features that are associated with autism: impairment in social interaction, communication, and behavior. Examples of the impairments in social interactions include...
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The Education of Real Life
As parents of children with autism, we continually search for the answer to the question, “What does my child need in order to reach his or her potential in life?” Our children’s potential is greatly determined by the quality of education they receive. Education for our children takes place...
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Support Groups Build Connections and Skills for Adults with ASD
Many adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience stress in their daily lives and feel socially isolated. The challenges of adulthood are many and varied, and many adults with ASD have few friends with whom to share those challenging experiences. Support groups for adults with ASD, when...
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Reducing Behavior Difficulties to Help Children with Autism Learn and Grow
One of the biggest challenges in working with children with autism is the severe behavior problems they exhibit. These behavior problems not only make it difficult for their parents to care for them but also make it difficult to take them out in public. Many of these children have unpredictable...
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Public Schools and the Autism Epidemic: A Preliminary Report on Consultation Services
With the recent rise in the incidence of autism, there is a growing need for effective, ABA-based intervention programs in public schools. In 2006, the number of students with autism ages 6-22 in New York State alone was reported as 13,951 (Part B IDEA). Various agencies and programs that serve...
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Providing a United Front
As an educator for the past 20 years, I have been afforded a unique view of the parent- student-teacher relationship. As a parent myself I have been on two sides of this triangle. At times, I can honestly say, it has not been easy. I always wanted the best for my child and believed that as a parent...
